When the bone and cartilage dividing your nasal cavity is off center or crooked, the condition is referred to as a deviated septum. If the deviation is serious enough, it can cause breathing difficulties and chronic sinus conditions that require treatment. <\/p> \r\n\r\n\r\n
Most often, a deviated septum is a condition that occurs during birth or fetal development. In other cases, trauma or injury to the nose causes the displacement. This is frequently the result of a sports injury or automobile accident. Occasionally, cartilage in the nasal tip deteriorates as we age, producing a deviated septum. <\/p> \r\n\r\n\r\n
The perfect nasal septum divides the left and right nostrils evenly, but this is pretty rare; it\u2019s estimated that about 80 percent of the population has a septum that is off center to some extent. Usually the deviation is slight and goes unnoticed; only the worst cases produce symptoms that affect breathing. <\/p> \r\n\r\n
Symptoms include nasal congestion (often limited to one side of the nose), frequent nosebleeds and sinus infections<\/a>, facial pain and pressure, headaches, postnasal drip, and noisy breathing or snoring during sleep.<\/a> <\/p> \r\n\r\n\r\n If the deviated septum isn\u2019t too severe, symptoms may respond to treatment with medications. Antihistamines, decongestants and nasal steroid sprays can reduce congestion and inflammation in some patients. <\/p> \r\n\r\n When medicines are ineffective, a surgical procedure known as a septoplasty may be necessary to reposition a crooked septum and improve breathing. This involves removing excess bone or cartilage in order to create a larger breathing space, and is typically performed in an outpatient setting using local or general anesthesia. <\/p> \r\n\r\n How Is a Deviated Septum Treated? <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n